Episodes
The wonderful Sean O'Hagan joins us to chat about the new High Llamas record Hey Panda, and his songwriting process. The acclaimed artist, producer, and arranger explores a wealth of topics including his formative work in beloved Irish band Microdisney, writing about his own life and experiences, and his insatiable appetite for new music.
Published 04/26/24
Published 04/26/24
Gossip's Beth Ditto and Nathan 'Brace Paine' Howdeshell discuss the creative process behind their excellent new record Real Power. The pair reflect on their near telepathic musical relationship, the ethereal mysteries of songwriting, and collaborating with the great Rick Rubin.
Published 03/29/24
Brittany Howard talks with Simon and Brian about her arresting new record What Now and how she approaches songwriting. The singer and guitarist discusses taking risks in the studio, experimenting with rhythm, and her encounters with the legendary Prince.
Published 02/28/24
Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney join Sodajerker to discuss their fantastic new record Little Rope and their songwriting process. The influential duo talk about song structure and arranging, their strange guitar tunings, and collaborating with producers like John Congleton and Annie Clark.
Published 02/08/24
Singer-songwriter and producer Bill Ryder-Jones joins Sodajerker from his West Kirby studio to discuss his new record Iechyd Da, and his creative process. The Merseyside-based artist also talks about collaborating with the likes of Mick Head, taking lyrical inspiration from TV’s Eurotrash, and writing bad songs in his sleep.
Published 01/18/24
Leslie Feist joins Simon and Brian to discuss her songwriting process and recent record Multitudes. The award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter talks about taking part in a 'Song-A-Day' challenge, bypassing judgement when writing, and how she has developed songs through live performance.
Published 12/22/23
Thomas Walsh of Pugwash and The Duckworth Lewis Method joins Sodajerker to discuss his new album The Rest is History and his songwriting process. In this in-depth conversation, the Irish power pop legend talks about his origins in music, his collaborations with The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, and his reverence for his musical heroes like Michael Penn and Jeff Lynne.
Published 11/30/23
Eric Cantona joins Simon and Brian to discuss his new EP I'll Make My Own Heaven, and his songwriting process. The actor, artist and former footballer talks about his need to express himself, using mistakes to create better moments, and how to rely on instinct.
Published 10/27/23
Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips chats with Simon and Brian about the band's classic album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots and his songwriting process. The veteran artist talks about the writing of beloved tracks like 'Do You Realize??', working intuitively, and responding with pure emotion to song ideas.
Published 10/07/23
Kevin Rowland joins Simon and Brian to discuss his creative process and the writing of the new Dexys record The Feminine Divine. The acclaimed singer and songwriter talks about where inspiration comes from, the importance of trust when co-writing, and why he likes to write notes on his lyric sheets.
Published 08/31/23
Simon and Brian are joined by beloved singer-songwriter Stephen Duffy to discuss writing the new Lilac Time record Dance Till All The Stars Come Down and much more besides. Stephen touches on a range of subjects including the influence of W. H. Auden, how therapy changed his writing style, and his collaborations with artists like Steven Page and Robbie Williams.
Published 08/16/23
Damon Albarn welcomes Sodajerker to his London studio to chat about the creative process behind the new Blur record The Ballad of Darren. Among other topics, the singer-songwriter and composer talks about his working routines with Blur and Gorillaz, writing about real life experiences, and his love for the city of Liverpool.
Published 07/28/23
Lloyd Cole joins Simon and Brian to discuss his songwriting and the creative process behind his new record On Pain. The former Commotions frontman reflects on new collaborations with his old bandmates, the influence of David Bowie, and his ongoing quest to experiment and evolve.
Published 07/13/23
Jenny Lewis chats to Sodajerker about her current record Joy'All and her songwriting process. Among other insights, the musician and actress talks about attending a songwriting group hosted by Beck, recording with Ringo Starr, and her work with Rilo Kiley.
Published 06/16/23
Simply Red's Mick Hucknall joins Simon and Brian for a special 250th episode covering his new record Time and his work through the years. The celebrated frontman speaks candidly about his career as a songwriter, his collaborations with Motown legend Lamont Dozier, and the stories behind classic hits like 'Holding Back The Years' and 'Something Got Me Started'.
Published 05/31/23
Theo Katzman discusses his amazing album Be The Wheel and his philosophies as a songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. The Vulfpeck member shares a range of ideas about music including the influence of jazz standards, capturing real performances on record, and why AI is no problem if we just focus on our humanity.
Published 05/21/23
Jessie Ware chats with Sodajerker about her new album That! Feels Good! and her approach to songwriting. The singer, songwriter and podcaster talks about wearing lots of different hats creatively, the challenges of co-writing, and past collaborations with Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran and Julia Michaels.
Published 04/28/23
David Paich sits down with Simon and Brian to talk about his songwriting process, his recent solo debut Forgotten Toys, and his classic hits with Toto. The legendary songwriter, keyboardist and session musician discusses his early musical life, the influence of his father, and collaborations with Boz Scaggs, David Foster and more.
Published 04/07/23
The delightful Tim Burgess joins us to discuss his songwriting process, both solo and with The Charlatans. The singer-songwriter, author, and Twitter legend talks about writing in white rooms, hitting hot streaks, and the joy of sharing music through his listening parties.
Published 03/10/23
Triple diamond pop megastar Shania Twain joins us to discuss her captivating new record Queen Of Me and her colossal hits from the past. The Canadian singer-songwriter talks about how she felt going into writing rooms for the first time, her love for strong choruses and bridges, and why she’s always looking to be envious of something someone else wrote.
Published 02/03/23
This gem from the archives was thought lost forever, but thanks to the wonders of technology we've been able to recover our chat with the great Boz Scaggs. It was recorded around the time of Boz's last album, Out of the Blues, and highlights his contemporary approach to music making, as well as the creative process behind timeless classics like 'Lowdown' and 'Hollywood'. The singer-songwriter and guitarist also speaks about gaining vocal confidence, collaborating with David Paich, David...
Published 01/13/23
Composer and songwriter Michael Penn talks with Sodajerker about his "former career" in songwriting, meeting Bob Dylan as a kid, and why he doesn't co-write with his partner, the equally brilliant Aimee Mann. The acclaimed film/TV composer also reflects on his relationship with performing, his approach to melody writing, and his love for The Chamberlin keyboard.
Published 12/31/22
The brilliant Tim Heidecker chats with Simon and Brian about his gorgeous record High School, his love for Randy Newman, and recreating the yacht rock sound. The comedian, writer, actor and musician also explains why he wrote a hymn for agnostics, and wonders why we keep burying people in the ground when they die.
Published 12/24/22
To mark the release of a new deluxe reissue of his eponymous debut, Seal joins Simon and Brian for a conversation about his songwriting process. The singer-songwriter discusses classic hits like 'Killer', 'Crazy' and ‘Kiss From A Rose’ and explains why the alchemy of songwriting still has him passionate about making music.
Published 12/07/22